Burnley 4-year-old a whizz thanks to TV charity

A BURNLEY family have thanked charity Whizz-Kidz — featured on Ant and Dec’s Text Santa show — for providing their son with a powered wheelchair.

Five-year-old Noah Pickard has cerebral palsy and suffers from quadriplegia, meaning that all four of his limbs are paralysed.

His parents, Helen and Nick Pickard, thought that little Noah would endure years of waiting for a powered wheelchair after being told by the NHS that it can take a number of years to qualify for funding.

Noah’s mother Helen, who runs Washking Discount Ltd, in Westgate, with her husband, said: “Noah's occupational therapist recommended Whizz-Kidz as a charity to contact for help funding a powered chair.

“We called them in January 2013 and by December Noah had received his powered wheelchair, which was great as we thought it would take much longer after speaking to the NHS wheelchair services.”

The news comes as the national charity that provides disabled children and young people with mobility equipment, last week offered to help fundraising 10-year-old Enola Halleron, from Hyndburn, in her quest for a powered wheelchair.

Noah, who attends St Leonard’s in Padiham, is still getting used to his powered chair and hasn’t had as much practice outside as he would like due to cold and wet weather, but his dad is confident that the wheelchair will give his son much more independence in the long run.

Nick said: “Noah has a manual chair but this wheelchair will give him more independence and will be better for him in the future.

“He just needs to get a bit more practice in it and then he’ll be able to use it at school which will be a great help to him.”

Noah is described by his father as happy and intelligent with varying interests and a keen ear for music.

Nick added: “We are all into our music and Noah just loves it.

“He’s a real whizz on the iPad and is always finding new music and downloading new things to listen to.

“He’s so quick with iPads and computers that I’m sure that now the weather is improving and he gets out in his new chair more he’ll master it in no time.”

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